A Fine Line
by Esmara
Summary: "There's a fine line between hate and love." For as long as he could remember, there was one Nightopian he could never destroy - a dream that wouldn't die, who stood to protect all Nightopias and what they represented to Visitors. He thought he'd gotten rid of her for good, but a new Visitor has awoken her - and the Night Dimension might fall to their rivalry.
1. Chapter 1

_Um... yeah. I know, I should be working on Ayame and Lulu's stories, I know, but I had to get this idea written down and see what you all thought about it! So, while I try and figure out how to write the next chapters, enjoy this preview of coming attractions/distractions. Enjoy!_

_PS: Don't even bother reviewing this, miss critic. You know who you are._

_EDIT: Didn't like the chapter. Rewrote it during lunch. XD_

* * *

Chapter 1: Broken Utopia

Alone, behind one of many, many doors, lays the ruins of what once was a utopia. Debris lies everywhere, undisturbed by the wind, gray and beige stone crumbled on the ground. Statues of creatures with no heads line the torn-down corridors as she skips over broken glass in red, green, pink and yellow, glinting in the glaring sun. The ruins are clearest between the remains of the halls, and glimpses between the broken columns show the grand foyer of the utopia's palace.

The grand foyer's walls are still intact, having been repaired over and over, thousands of colors cast across the walls by stained glass windows and reflections of rich blue tiles on the walls, freshly polished. Two figures stand in the center, intertwined and trapped in stone.

They stand on a makeshift pedestal constructed from old chairs and wrapped in sofa upholstery. One figure is a woman with eyes calmly shut, the first tears imprisoned on her face as her hair flutters permanently in a breeze that has long gone. Her arm is wrapped around the man's neck, and her head is rested against his in a final embrace. Her other hand is locked around the staff she holds to the side, her fingers interlocked with his.

The man faces the other direction. His arm is locked around the woman's waist, his hand caressing her back, pulling her close to him. His eyes are shut as well, but his expression is one of frustration instead of acceptance, mouth twisted into a scowl. His own tears pool around his eyes but do not fall, and there is no sign that any more had already fallen. His fingers are tense against her back, creases in the fabric pulled around the talon edges. The hand that holds the staff is tense as well, bent fingers forever taut and strong. His face is turned towards her, as if to say something – or, perhaps, as if he already had.

The polished walls shimmer in the sunlight, refracting light like teardrops cascading downward as the day gets brighter. The colors of the windows shift with each second, bathing her in yellows and blues while he is cast in purples and reds, reflections rigid and refusing to mix together as the sun reaches the highest point in the sky. Bits of color are obscured by shadow as butterflies flutter by the windows, and the two almost seem to move – her eyelashes look like they flicker, his hand relaxes a bit. As soon as the shadow passes, however, any change that might have been is gone.

Dried and withered flowers lay around the edges of the pedestal, along with rain-soaked drawings in crayon and letters with the words long faded. Footsteps are frozen in the dried mud where tiles have come away, and two small spots of faded paint marks a tile at the foot of the statue, where drops of water have fallen over and over again.

The door to the utopia is an old, vine-grown and moss covered thing, with faded paint and chipped wood. The handle has lost its gleam, and rust has chipped away from being opened and shut again and again. It creaks open, sometimes, and the wind will blow through to escape the desolate loneliness, as vines climb slowly up the palace walls.


	2. Chapter 2

_I knoooow I should be working on my other stories, I'm sorry, writer's block is cruel! So here's nmore of this nonsense until I can pick up where I left off. Thank you!_

* * *

Chapter 2: A Few Years Earlier

Rainwater splashed down on the exposed areas of Daniel's shoulder, and he pulled the neckline of his shirt up in a vain attempt to keep his body dry. _Why didn't I bring an umbrella?_, he mentally grumbled when his dark red bangs flopped down in front of his eyes, plastered to his face by the water. All around him, people hustled down the Bellbridge streets, not noticing anyone else in their rush to get to somewhere else. Everybody seemed so dull today, so bored…

"Hey, you okay?" The rain suddenly stopped splashing down on him, and he looked up in confusion to find a swirl of purples and dark blues accented with glitter hanging over his head. Daniel looked at the figure who had put the umbrella over him. "You looked like you were having a bad day."

"Oh, thank you…" The girl looked to be around his age – 17 at the very least – and had snowy white hair that seemed to be a light yellow at the roots. "You didn't have to do that, I'm just… a bit tired, I guess."

"Tired?" The girl tilted her head slightly. "May I ask why?"

"Life in general… the same thing every day, no real change in routine…" He stopped at the crosswalk, and the girl watched the cars pass by, "just wears you down, you know?"

"I guess…" Her eyelids fluttered, and she yawned. "Huh, that's odd… I wasn't tired earlier." She shook her head a bit, and looked at Daniel. "Oh, where are my manners? My name's Lily. Lily Taylor."

"Daniel," he responded, "Daniel Brown. Nice to meet you, Lily." He looked at the crosswalk. "Uh, which way are you headed? I don't want you to get too far off course…"

"Nowhere in particular," Lily responded as they crossed the street, "just people-watching. Where are you headed?"

"I'm going to an art studio for a lesson a few blocks from here…" he looked at the clock, "but I'm not late yet."

"You're an artist?" Lily smiled. "What do you draw with?"

"Charcoal, mostly," Daniel responded. "Do you draw?"

"Me? No, I'm no good at art. I'm actually looking into…" Her eyelids drooped. "Into…"

"Lily?" Daniel looked at her with a frown, and his eyes widened as the umbrella slipped out of her hand and she collapsed, eyes shut. He caught her before she could hit her head, and knelt down, putting a hand on her head.

"Oh, man! Somebody help!" Daniel looked around in a panic as cars zoomed past, rain unrelenting as it splashed down on Lily's face. "Help! Please! She just suddenly passed out! Somebody!" He reached for his cell phone, and flipped it open – no battery power left. "Hang in there," he said, looking down her. She had a scared expression on her face, like she was trapped in a nightmare. "I won't leave you here. Somebody!"

* * *

_Lily's eyes flickered open, and she stumbled back with a gasp, feeling something like glass bump against her. She'd just been having a daydream a second ago… she'd been walking home from school, contemplating a story she'd read during English, when everything just… stopped._

_"Oh, no…" Lily ran across the stone floor, through the halls of the magnificent palace she was suddenly in. Above her, dark clouds swirled, angrily snatching at her, repelled by something at the center of the castle. She ran towards it – whatever force was keeping that cloud that had suddenly swallowed her up away, it was probably the only hope she had for getting out of here._

_"Get back here! Stop!" The figure – the one that she could remember suddenly snatching her from consciousness, an evil-looking figure – flew at the barrier around the palace, and growled when it pushed him back. "No!"_

_Lily ran into the main room, while the figure snarled and cursed above her, and she stared at the figure standing at the center. It was a woman – one that looked to be almost human, but not quite, with long hair and clad in a nightgown – wielding a large staff, poised for battle. Lily walked over to it, unaware of the white glow coming from her hands as she got closer._

_"No!" The monster growled, "Don't you dare!" Lily ignored him, and she reached up towards the statue giving off the force that repelled him, the statue's eyes glowing as the light grasped it. The light swallowed the statue, and an instant later it swallowed everything else._

* * *

"... And her grandparents have been contacted," the nurse finished, "so they're on their way. That was very kind of you to wait until the ambulance got here. Do you have anywhere you need to be?" In the background, a TV blared that more people had suddenly fallen over, into what looked like a terrible sleep they could not awaken from, all over the world.

"…No," Daniel responded, "If you don't mind, I'd like to stay here with her for a moment." He'd already cancelled the appointment, and texted hi dad to explain what had happened. The umbrella sat in a puddle on the floor of the clinic room, and Lily looked asleep on her small bed, changed out of her red gingham dress and jeans into a simple blue gown, hair pulled out of its braids and into a bun. Her face was still contorted in fear, and Daniel, without really thinking about it, put his hand on hers. "It's okay," he whispered, the only noise besides the pouring rain, "you'll be okay."

Her grandparents showed around twenty minutes later, and thanked Daniel for getting their granddaughter to the clinic (he didn't have the heart to explain he wasn't her boyfriend, like they seemed to believe), before fussing over Lily and begging her to wake up, before the nurse explained what was going on. It was with heavy expressions that they agreed to come back tomorrow, but after they left, noon melted into late evening, and Daniel couldn't bring himself to leave. He looked at the clock.

_9:30, _he thought to himself, _already late. I should probably call Dad and tell him I'm gonna be home late…_

Daniel reached for the phone, but his eyelids drooped, and he let himself slip into a heavy and relaxed slumber, while the phone buzzed with another text.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Beastly Beauty

Everything had happed so quickly, Lily wasn't quite sure what to make of it. The light had faded, and the figure had vanished, the creature from the darkness now cowering. She herself had seemingly changed – she was clad in a new outfit, her hair had turned white…

This was not her body.

_What's your name? _The voice was kindly, and seemed to control "her" new body, twirling the statue's staff, now pearly white, overhead. _I wanted to thank you for releasing me from my stone prison._

_ It's Lily, _she thought back, before realizing what she was doing – what the voice was doing. _Are we flying?!_

_ It's a long story, _the figure responded. _My name is Stars. Now, I need you to not try and move, alright? _Stars stopped spinning the staff, and aimed the intricately carved end at the shadows, the white and blue crystals charging with light.

"Get back, Nightmarens!" Stars growled, "Back to Wizeman! Tell him that I have reawakened!" A burst of energy shot from the staff, and the shadows curled away like retreating smoke, repelled by the aura she gave off. She shot again, sending the figure that had chased Lily backwards.

"Reala will take care of you again, princess! Just you wait! The figure cackled, and Stars scowled as the darkness vanished.

"Not this time," she muttered. "Are you alright, Lily?"

_I-I think so… _That had been… unsettling, to say the least. _Um… what happened to my body?_

"Oh, hang on." Stars landed, and an instant later – she'd never in her life be able to describe how – Lily was facing the woman who'd been a statue minutes before. Only a few things had changed.

She was still the same not-quite-human shape – overlong legs and streamlined curves, a small torso with a large head, long arms and sleek hands. But her clothes were different – the fluttering nightgown was now a blue cropped shirt with translucent train, white pants, blue boots and matching gloves that came to the top of her arm and cut off at the back of her hand, silk ribbon tying them to her ring fingers. The staff was now silver and jewel-encrusted, and the orb at its top was a clear, deep blue, like a gemstone.

"Ah, now this is interesting." Stars glanced down. "My attire and staff change to reflect the heart of the person I Dualize with." She looked at her boots. "Somebody lighthearted and bright… This material isn't very good, so you're also vulnerable and a bit too willing to let people in… not necessarily a wise thing to do." She gave a small nod, and looked at Lily. "We should get out of here before more Nightmarens come, hm?" She held her hand out, and Lily slowly took it. In an instant, both were flying again, out of the ruin and through a doorway, into a soft white light.

"Well," Lily said as they landed, and Stars separated, "That was… interesting…" they were standing in what looked like a garden forest, with tall trees and a large fountain, and a broken staircase to the north. "Where are we?"

"You, Visitor," Stars said with a smile, "Are in the Night Dimension, the world where dreamers are taken to in their sleep."

"But I'm not asleep! I was just taking a walk with my friend, and the next thing I knew… I was in that place where you were a statue…" Stars frowned.

"We should find Owl, he might understand. Follow me." Stars walked down the white brick path, and Lily followed, footsteps clicking against the stone.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Of Red and Gray

"Nngh…" Daniel's eyes flickered open to the sight of curling black and purple and red smoke, spiraling and morphing in the colorless air around the glass orb he was trapped in. There was no clear source of light, but he could see everything perfectly as he sprung to his feet and ran to the edge of the glass, hands balled into fists and banging against the prison. The top and bottom of the sphere were held by gold chains stretching in either direction into the murky abyss, and there seemed to be no indication of landscape changing anywhere. "Hey!" His cries punctuated each hit, "Hey! Somebody get me out of here!"

"I'm sorry," a voice said that snidely implied the opposite, "but I'm afraid I cannot do that." He spun to face the voice. The figure was chalky white and dressed in red and black, sinister blue eyes framed with an elaborate gold mask, and eerily dark lips curled into a smug fanged grin. "Master Wizeman isn't happy with my men after our last catch using the new sleeping trap got away, but I'm sure you'll be more than enough to satisfy his fury. Now…" The not-quite-human figure held a hand forward and curled his fingers in, "let's see what's in your heart, Visitor." Daniel felt himself pulled forward, and looked down to see three lights glowing in his chest – blue, red, and green.

"What the hell are those?!"

"Courage, growth, intelligence…" the nightmare – for Daniel was sure he was in a nightmare – said, smile growing, "excellent. These Ideya should be enough…" He snapped the fingers of his free hand, and the world around him shifted until Daniel found himself facing something new, the dark figure kneeling before it.

Daniel's knees buckled. The figure had to be ten times his size, draped in colors that seemed to encompass nothing, head metal and faceless – only an unmoving mouth – with long curled spikes emerging from all directions as hair should, and six steel hands with colorful eyes, one in each palm. Daniel stepped backwards, stumbled, fell, eyes never leaving the monster before him.

"Master Wizeman," the figure said, "I have brought you a Visitor with three strong Ideya – one not caught by the sleeping trap. We were successful in evading the rescue efforts of NiGHTS."

"Excellent, Reala," a voice that could never have been human filled the void, reverberating and rumbling like some unnatural machine. "You have done well in your duty, my humble servant."

"Thank you, Master Wizeman." The one called Reala lowered his head.

"There is, however, another problem," the voice continued, "one of your inferiors has informed me that a human has released the Nightopian Stars from the stone prison you put her in thirty years ago." Reala's head sprung up, eyes panicked now.

"She escaped?! Again…" he looked down, shame crossing his dark features. "Forgive me, master. I will see to it that she does not interfere this time."

"Do it, Reala." The Nightmare disappeared, and Daniel was left to stare at Wizeman. "You visitors with Ideya have always proved to be my undoing." He gold lid and glass fell away. "I will see to it that this will not be the case again. Your mind, Daniel Brown, is mine…" the hands circled him, and pain shot through his body as the lights within it shifted and changed, "and your loyalty is to the darkness." His body was twisting, shifting and morphing. "You are not human. You never were." His panicked thoughts were slowly fading, turning blank. 'As of now, you are a humble servant to me. You are a Nightmaren."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Serpentine

"Owl?" Stars called out, stopping in front of the white door that faced away from the great stone column overlooking everything, "Owl? Where are you? Owl, there is a Visitor here, and we need information." She frowned, and cupped her hands in front of her mouth. "Owl!"

"Stars, you're okay!" they both spun, and Star grinned at the figure before them, flying over and giving the colorful jester a hug.

"NiGHTS! Oh my goodness, how long has it been?" She pulled away, and frowned at NiGHTS's expression. "What is the matter, old friend?"

"A Visitor just got stolen by Reala! I tried to save him, but…" the jester looked down, eyes squeezed shut, 'I couldn't. I wasn't fast enough. And now Wizeman…" he looked at Stars. "He did… something. I don't know, I nearly got caught myself. I just got back here." NiGHTS gave a small sigh, head shifting to the side. "If I'd tried a bit harder…"

"Is there any way we can find him now?" Stars said, frowning when she got another response in the negative. "Oh, dear…"

"Daniel!" Lily's eyes widened in horror. "It might be Daniel! He was with me when everything went black…"

"Could be," Stars responded, "but right now, we need to worry less about _who _he is and more about _where _he is."

"I'm right here!" All three looked up, and Lily's hands flew to her mouth in horror, tears pooling at the edges of her eyes.

It was terrible to behold – the figure was like Stars and NiGHTS, but a long tail in black and scarlet scales extended from his torso, and the scales climbed up his body all the way to under his jaw. Long, sharp fangs glinted against his gray face, and his eyes flashed yellow. His hair had been replaced with a scale crest that came all the way down to between his eyes, and his fingers ended with sharp talons.

"Oh, no…" Stars took a step back in horror as Nights's teeth clenched, eyes glaring. "What has Wizeman done…"

"Master Wizeman," the creature grinned, "has released my true potential! At last, I can act without the limitations of my weak human form!"

"Yes," a second voice has added, "this Visitor has learned to embrace his true nature." The figure was also clad in gray and red, but looked much more like some wicked jester to Lily, who would have run behind Stars if the latter hadn't been floating above. Stars scowled, and started willing power into the silver staff – this second figure reeked of evil and something… familiar.

"Wizeman would have sent his second to keep an eye on his lowers, from what I remember, not another new creation. Who are you?" Stars demanded, and the jester laughed.

"Why, princess," he grinned, floating down until they were on the same level and held his arms out in a mockingly friendly gesture, "do you not recognize me, after all these years? And I was so _greatly _looking forward to seeing you again, too!"

"Stars," Nights called from below, where the jester had floated to give Lily something to hold as she shook, "that _is _Reala!" She stared in disbelief before recognition set in – he was much stronger, and had traded the flimsy vest for something bulkier and covered his chest with black wrapping, but the smile, the _eyes _were the same. Reala held a hand out, beckoning.

"My dear Stars," he said as the Nightmaren that had once been Daniel floated down towards Lily and Nights stepped between them, "it has been so long…" his gaze flickered up and down, "and the years have treated you well, I see."

"No thanks to you," Stars said, stepping back in the air, towards Lily. "What do you want? I won't let you take Lily, you've already gotten one Visitor."

"Oh," he chuckled, "I have no interest in the Visitor right now." "Daniel" glanced at Reala with a disappointed expression, but floated back behind him. Stars raised an eyebrow.

"Oh?"

"No," Reala floated forward, and Stars glared as a talon traced her cheek, "I was sent to negotiate with _you._"

"I see," she said, pulling away from his touch and noting that his smug grin failed to mask the disappointment in his eyes, "So we are to resume our old song and dance, then. You know my answer, Reala. I will not join the Nightmarens, nor will I surrender."

"Disappointing," Reala floated backwards, "but now is not our negotiation. I will be waiting for you in Nightopia – _there _we will discuss." He gestured to the door. "Don't keep me waiting, my princess. You do know how I _impatient _I can get." And with that, he and the other Nightmaren – Daniel – were gone.

"What was that about?" Lily stepped out from behind Nights, who sighed.

"An old rivalry," Nights responded, "Of some sort, Stars won't explain it to me."

"There's nothing to explain," she responded, "I hate him for what he does, and he hates me for not being a Nightmaren, simple as that. Now, we need to get to Nightopia and see if we can find a way to free Daniel. I'll deal with Reala." Lily nodded, and Stars led her, Nights in tow, to the door. "This way." It opened, and they three were bathed in light.


End file.
